University alum Will Smith awarded the Gates Cambridge Scholarship

University of Melbourne alum and Associate Lecturer Will Smith has been awarded the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, becoming the first Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander recipient of the prestigious award.

A proud Wiradjuri and Wemba Wemba man, Will graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), majoring in Psychology.

Through the scholarship, he will undertake a Master of Philosophy in Health, Medicine and Society at the University of Cambridge with a focus on medical anthropology and the philosophy of medicine.

Will’s research explores strength-based approaches to mental health treatment and the role cultural practices play in Indigenous communities in Australia.

“I am keen to re-conceptualise medicine and mental health through Indigenous worldviews, both Indigenous Australian and from other First Nations contexts, as part of a broader project of decolonising medical and mental health practice,” Will said.

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is one of the most prestigious international postgraduate scholarships at the University of Cambridge, awarded to outstanding applicants from around the world and across all disciplines.

Professor Eilís Ferran, Provost of the Gates Cambridge Trust, said: “We know that our new scholars will thrive at Cambridge and we trust that they will go on to have a significant ripple effect in their various fields and more broadly, tackling the urgent global challenges we face today.”

Will is one of 68 scholarship recipients and was recognised for his leadership potential, outstanding intellectual ability and commitment to improving the lives of others through research and community engagement.

Will has been working as an Associate Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne, and recently received the Rising Star Award for Young Alumni at the 2025 Faculty of Arts Alumni Awards.

Will said it was an honour to be the first Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander recipient of the scholarship.

“First Nations people have been historically excluded from institutions such as Cambridge, and I hope I am the first of many Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people to receive this scholarship,” Will said.

“I am deeply proud of my own journey, but I am equally aware that without the resilience of my ancestors and the First Nations trailblazers who came before me, I would never have believed this was possible. I hope the skills I develop abroad will ultimately allow me to give back to communities in Australia.”